Daily GK and Current Affairs Quiz – 6th & 7th September 2020

Correct Answer: D. Saudi Arabia

Explanation: Saudi Arabia chaired the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Extraordinary Meeting which was held in the virtual mode. External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar represented India in the virtual meeting that was convened in the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. During the meeting, India proposed the setting up of voluntary ‘G20 Principles on Coordinated Cross-Border Movement of People’. This new set up will be based on the following three pillars:

• Standardization of testing procedures and universal acceptability of test results
• Standardization of ‘Quarantine procedures’
• Standardization of ‘movement and transit’ protocols

The participants deliberated on strengthening international cooperation across borders amid COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The Ministers also discussed the national experiences and lessons acquired from the cross-border management initiatives taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Correct Answer – C. Raj Kumar Srivastava

Explanation: Raj Kumar Srivastava has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Croatia. He is an IFS officer of 1997 batch and is presently serving as the Deputy Chief of Mission in the Embassy of India, Tokyo.

Correct Answer – B. Russia

Explanation: Indian Navy and Russian Navy has commenced the 11th edition of a biennial bilateral maritime exercise “INDRA NAVY”. The biennial bilateral maritime exercise will be conducted in the Bay of Bengal from 04 to 05 September 2020. The maritime exercise “INDRA NAVY” embodies the long-term strategic relationship between the two Navies. The INDRA NAVY-20 exercise seeks to consolidate the inter-operability built up by the navies of two countries over the years. It will also improve understanding as well as the procedures for multi-faceted maritime operations. This year, the bilateral maritime exercise would be undertaken in a ‘non-contact, at sea only’ format amid the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Correct Answer – A. S Krishnan

Explanation: Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of S Krishnan as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Punjab & Sind Bank. He will replace S Harishankar. ACC has given permission to S Harishankar to voluntarily retire with effect from the date of notification of the acceptance. Earlier to this elevation, S Krishnan was as an Executive Director at Canara Bank.

Correct Answer – C. PayPal India

Explanation: Apex body on data protection in India, set up by NASSCOM, the Data Security Council of India (DSCI), along with PayPal India released a report titled ‘Fraud & Risk Management in Digital Payments’. The report suggests to safeguard payments for consumers, MSMEs, businesses, as the e-commerce market in India and UPI transactions are growing manifold during the recent times. It also discussed about the threats in the payment ecosystem and its prevention.

Correct Answer – C. European Investment Bank

Explanation: 2nd metro rail project supported by the EIB in Uttar Pradesh(UP), following the €450 million investment in Lucknow metro rail system. Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (UPMRC) is the promoter-Financial intermediary for this project. €650 million(Rs 5,551.99 crore) investment is the 5th investment of EIB in green infrastructure and connectivity in India i:e Bhopal, Pune, Bangalore and Lucknow. This investment will boost GOI and its Urban Development “Smart Cities Mission”, as Kanpur is one of the first 100 targeted Smart Cities in the country.

Correct Answer – B. Finland

Explanation: A Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in the field of geology and mineral resources between Geological Survey of India and Geological Survey of Finland. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has approved the MoU. The MoU facilitates cooperation in the field of geology, training, mineral prognostication and suitability analysis, Seismic and other Geophysical surveys. MoU aims at strengthening scientific links between the two Organisations. It also aims to provide with a framework and a platform to promote and foster cooperation in the fields of geology, and mineral resources between the participants for mutual economic, social and environmental benefit.

Correct Answer – D. Andhra Pradesh

Explanation: The Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Ltd (APIIC) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT) as a step forward in the direction of setting up a Bulk Drug Park (BDP) under a scheme by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, Department of Pharmaceuticals. The objective of the MoU is to develop a collaborative partnership between the State government and CSIR-IICT to establish Bulk Drug Pharma park in the State. It seeks financial support from the Centre. As per the agreement, CSIR-IICT shall provide necessary technical support as the knowledge partner in preparing the proposal to be submitted by the Andhra Pradesh government to the Department of Pharmaceuticals. This would make the State a top destination for medicine manufacturers.

Correct Answer – D. Murali Ramakrishnan

Explanation:  The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the appointment of Murali Ramakrishnan as Managing Director and CEO of the South Indian Bank for a period of three years with effect from October 1, 2020. Ramakrishnan had retired from ICICI Bank as Senior General Manager at Strategic Project Group on May 30, 2020, and joined the South Indian Bank as an advisor on July 1, 2020. He represented the bank in the board of CIBIL and the risk advisory board of VISA for the Asia Pacific.

Correct Answer – C. Arjun Munda

Explanation: Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda addressed the inaugural session of National Tribal Research Conclave on 3 September 2020. It is being organized by Centre of Excellence for Tribal Affairs, Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), New Delhi. He said that the Ministry of Tribal Affairs is funding  26 Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) for research under Grant to TRIs.

Correct Answer – C. Nagaland

Explanation: Nagaland is observing Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight Programme, IDCP from 1st to 14th of September 2020. IDCP is a yearly activity being observed all over the country. During the fortnight all households with children under 5 years of age will be provided ORS, while all households with children under 5 years with diarrheal cases will be provided with ORS and Zinc Tablet for free.

Correct Answer – B. N K Singh

Explanation: The Economic Advisory Council of the 15th Finance Commission met on 4 September 2020. Chairman N K Singh chaired the day-long meeting. The meeting was for a final discussion on GDP growth, tax buoyancy of the Centre and the States, GST compensation, revenue deficit grant and fiscal consolidation. The members of the Economic Advisory Council also attended the meeting.

Correct Answer – B. 23.9%

Explanation: As per the official data released by the National Statistics Office (NSO) India’s gross domestic product (GDP) contracted 23.9 per cent in the April-June quarter of 2020-21 from that in the same quarter last financial year. This was mainly on account of limited economic activity in the country during the quarter amid lockdowns to control the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. This is the first instance of an economic contraction for the country in at least four decades, and also the first GDP decline since India began publishing quarterly numbers in 1996.

Correct Answer: C. India

Explanation: India will host a summit of the council of heads of government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on November 30, 2020. The focus will be on contributing to the trade and economic agenda of the influential grouping. India has been focussing on expanding its cooperation with the SCO, an 8-nation regional grouping that represents around 42% of the world’s population.